Gust-Skimmer MTG Card

Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
2011-02-04 - Number 108

Gust-Skimmer - Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)

Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)
2015-05-22 - Number 217

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact Creature — Insect
Power	2
Toughness	1

Key Takeaways

Gust-Skimmer ensures continuous pressure with its temporary flying ability, requiring opponents to respond or suffer damage.
Its flexible mana cost for flying activation allows players to adapt their board strategy dynamically each turn.
The card’s need for colorless mana to activate flying may restrict its use in multicolored mana decks.

Text of card

: Gust-Skimmer gains flying until end of turn.

Phyrexian smog clouds choked the skies, threatening creatures who couldn't comprehend the menace below.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gust-Skimmer’s inherent ability to fly over battlefield obstructions provides a strategic advantage by increasing the likelihood of consistent damage input. This aerial superiority can apply pressure on an opponent, requiring them to address this threat and potentially diverting resources they could use elsewhere.

Resource Acceleration: The moderate casting cost of Gust-Skimmer allows for early deployment in the game, potentially accelerating your board presence and influence in the skies. In addition, the flexibility to spend mana to give it flying until end of turn means that you can manage resources cleverly between turns, investing in flight only when necessary for the turn.

Instant Speed: While Gust-Skimmer does not operate at instant speed itself, its flying ability activation can be used at instant speed. This feature surprises opponents who may not factor in an aerial blocker during their attack phase or anticipate the sudden evasion capability when they’re calculating their defensive strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Gust-Skimmer doesn’t directly require discarding, it may compel players to forgo other cards to save mana for its activation, which can be an indirect resource drain.

Specific Mana Cost: Gust-Skimmer demands a strictly colorless mana for its flying ability, which may clash with mana allocation in multicolor decks that prioritize colored mana use.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a two mana cost and an additional two to activate its flying, Gust-Skimmer can seem steep in comparison to creatures that innately possess flying or other abilities at a similar or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include Gust-Skimmer in Your Collection

Versatility: Gust-Skimmer offers flexibility in gameplay, easily slotting into artifact-themed decks or those looking for an evasive creature. Its ability to gain flying until end of turn makes it a shifty blocker or an unpredictable attacker, adapting to various in-game situations.

Combo Potential: With the right synergies, this card can be a key piece in combos focused on artifact count or abilities that trigger when a creature gains a keyword, like flying.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where flying creatures can dominate, Gust-Skimmer’s capability to block airborne threats or by-pass ground defenses keeps it relevant. It interacts well with the current environment that appreciates versatile and adaptable cards.

How to beat Gust-Skimmer

Gust-Skimmer presents a unique challenge within the game of MTG as a versatile flier capable of swiftly becoming elusive to ground blockers. This artifact creature has the advantageous ability to gain flying until the end of turn with just two mana, thereby making it a resilient obstacle in aerial combat.

To outmaneuver Gust-Skimmer’s capabilities, effective counterstrategies focus on removal spells that don’t rely on blocking. Direct removal spells, like Fatal Push or Path to Exile, can dispatch the Skimmer regardless of its flight status. Additionally, employing cards that restrict activated abilities or tax the mana used for them, such as Damping Sphere or Linvala, Keeper of Silence, can help mitigate the flexibility Gust-Skimmer offers in a match.

Another angle of attack involves strategies that make the Skimmer’s ability redundant, such as using creatures with reach or employing your own fliers to ensure aerial superiority. By keeping these tactics in mind, players can effectively neutralize Gust-Skimmer’s impact on the game, thereby eliminating the strategic advantage it could provide to an opponent.

Cards like Gust-Skimmer

Gust-Skimmer stands out in the realm of versatile creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It is comparable to cards such as Hovermyr, which also offers the ability to obtain flying until end of turn. What makes Gust-Skimmer unique is its repeatable ability to gain flying for a mere two mana. While Hovermyr has permanent flying and vigilance, it lacks the flexibility found in Gust-Skimmer’s adaptive flight capability.

Gliding Licid presents an alternative similarity in the adaptive flight category but comes with a different twist. It attaches to other creatures to grant them flying. In contrast, Gust-Skimmer doesn’t require another creature to be effective, granting itself flight autonomously. Compared to Glint Hawk, which requires you to return an artifact to hand when it enters the battlefield, Gust-Skimmer offers a creature that needs no additional sacrifices to soar in the skies.

Assessing the assets among these creatures, Gust-Skimmer shines in its simplicity and resilience, providing players with a repeatable flying mechanic without additional costs or conditions, increasing its value in MTG strategies that demand consistent aerial threats.

Cards similar to Gust-Skimmer by color, type and mana cost

Cosima, God of the Voyage // The Omenkeel - MTG Card versions

Glassblower's Puzzleknot - MTG Card versions

Soulcipher Board // Cipherbound Spirit - MTG Card versions

Sky Diamond - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)

Imposter Mech - Neon Dynasty Commander (NEC)

The Reality Chip - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)

Cosima, God of the Voyage // The Omenkeel - Kaldheim Promos (PKHM)

Silver Myr - Neon Dynasty Commander (NEC)

Neurok Stealthsuit - Duel Decks: Mirrodin Pure vs. New Phyrexia (TD2)

Etherium Sculptor - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)

Glassblower's Puzzleknot - Kaladesh (KLD)

Vantress Gargoyle - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)

Folio of Fancies - Throne of Eldraine Promos (PELD)

Winged Boots - Forgotten Realms Commander (AFC)

Soulcipher Board // Cipherbound Spirit - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)

Armguard Familiar - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)

Goggles of Night - Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate (HBG)

Mystery Key - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB)

Surge Engine - The Brothers' War Promos (PBRO)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gust-Skimmer MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin Besieged and Modern Masters 2015, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Gust-Skimmer and other MTG cards: